Master Key
- May 17, 2024
- Achromi
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Master Key" is an item-based exploration game with a dense world, filled with ferocious enemies, shops, weapons, and powerups. Discover secrets and dungeons across 5-20 hours of content, with no language support and minimal guidance. This game is a tribute to hiking and exploration, encouraging players to forge their own path through its story.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Master Key is a charming homage to classic 2D Zelda games, featuring a vast world filled with secrets and clever puzzles that encourage exploration.
- The game has a unique art style and a fantastic soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience and nostalgia for players who enjoyed titles like Link's Awakening.
- The lack of dialogue and reliance on visual cues creates a rewarding sense of discovery, allowing players to learn and adapt through exploration and experimentation.
- Combat can be frustrating due to unresponsive controls, tanky enemies, and a lack of invincibility frames, which can lead to tedious encounters.
- The game can feel vague at times, with some players expressing frustration over unclear objectives and hidden items that may lead to confusion.
- The monochrome art style, while charming, can sometimes hinder visibility, making it difficult to discern important elements in the environment.
- graphics54 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming 1-bit art style that, while minimalistic, is well-executed and adds depth to the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the clean animations and the nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic Game Boy titles, although some find the black-and-white visuals can hinder visibility at times. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's personality and exploration, complemented by a fitting chiptune soundtrack.
“By the time the credits rolled, I'd really fallen for the aesthetic, the world design, and the exploration of the game.”
“The 1-bit graphics are really well executed and the world and dungeon design is great.”
“The audio and visuals are crisp, and I like the 1-bit art style a lot.”
“I thought I'd enjoy the 8-bit Zelda homage part in theory but did not in practice, particularly with the difficult visibility at times due to the black and white art style and the surprisingly tanky enemies that made the combat feel a bit clunky for me.”
“As all pixel/8-bit games are, the graphics are minimal in this one.”
“There are some really easy to miss paths/secrets (especially since the game sticks to 1-bit visuals without ever straying, some things just blend in), and you're going to end up needing to go through the whole world over and over with almost a fine-toothed comb to figure out how to proceed at times.”
- music41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting its catchy chiptune soundtrack that evokes the spirit of classic 2D Zelda games. Composed by Noé Guiton, the soundtrack is described as vibrant and well-suited to the game's whimsical art style, making it memorable and enjoyable to listen to throughout gameplay. Overall, the music significantly enhances the exploration and emotional experience, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.
“The composer absolutely nailed the fun, adventurous spirit of a 2D Zelda game, and I've found multiple songs stuck in my head.”
“The talent of Noé Guiton is demonstrated in every facet of Master Key, whether it's a happy and simple tune for a sleepy town, or a thought-provoking secret place that you stumbled upon. Noé Guiton's mastery of composing is the perfect pair for Master Key in every sense of the word; you'll want to hum along to the music as you play.”
“The music does a great job of conveying emotion in various areas; well done to the composer.”
“The music.”
“The most direct inspirations seem to be the Game Boy/Game Boy Color titles, from the music to the graphics and even the controls.”
“The music is also very endearing and well crafted, which reinforces the appeal.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its fluidity, clever puzzles, and rewarding exploration within a charming, nostalgic aesthetic. Players appreciate the variety of power-ups and mechanics, though some find the boss fights lengthy and challenging due to unclear mechanics and high damage. Overall, the game offers a satisfying adventure reminiscent of traditional Zelda titles, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack.
“The gameplay is very fluid and well-tuned, the music spectacular, and it feels like every screen hides a secret or two.”
“Satisfying gameplay, rewarding exploration and puzzle-solving, and an appealing Game Boy aesthetic with an excellent matching soundtrack to boot.”
“As I said above, the bosses have incredible design, but it was slightly worsened by how long the fights were, how much damage their simple attacks do, the lack of healing spawned by mechanics of the fight, and how hard it was to predict/dodge a small amount of their attacks.”
“Towards the second half of the game, there were some mechanics that I wish were explained, such as destroying trees and dungeon walls, and swimming up waterfalls.”
“Puzzles are clever, mechanics are straightforward but used in interesting ways, and although the black and white graphics are sometimes hard to read, the art style is charming.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unfun, primarily due to the necessity of grinding for money to purchase key items and upgrades rather than discovering them. Combat is often frustrating, with high-damage enemies and a lack of defensive options, leading to further grinding for health. While some enjoy the challenge, many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience.
“Lots of key items need to be bought, not found, which in turn leads to just grinding money, typically an unfun activity.”
“There was a lot of exhaustion in either having to kill enemies that take many hits or trying to dodge enemies and taking random hits that you then have to spend time grinding health back from.”
“You can buy upgrades for your wallet in the town, but seeing as the only thing gating these purchases is more money, I really don't see why these things had to be upgrades in the first place, since you can farm money infinitely in this game (albeit slowly and tediously).”
- story10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game features minimal storytelling, with players noting a lack of depth in narrative and lore. However, it compensates for this with a vibrant, living world that encourages exploration and discovery, allowing players to engage with various environments and secrets without being restricted by story progression. Overall, while the story is sparse, the game's charm and exploration elements provide a fulfilling experience.
“It was only late in the game when I said to myself, 'Okay, I should stop doing the main quest and see what random grottos/caves I haven't gone in that might have secrets in them.' That I discovered this place, and the item inside would have been extremely helpful for progression, quality of life, and discovery.”
“- The store page doesn't lie, nothing is story gated; you can explore as far as you like so long as you have the proper abilities.”
“Despite the lack of story, this is still very much a living world full of charm and personality.”
“Since there is no text, don't expect a huge story.”
“I don't get the sense that there's much story/world/lore depth to dig into, having completed nearly 100%, but it's a really meaty exploration game with decent combat, and plenty of everything to dig your teeth into.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a longing for emotional experiences reminiscent of classic games like Link's Awakening, noting that while Elden Ring is a top-tier game, it evokes different feelings and tears for distinct reasons. The emotional impact of games varies significantly, with some players seeking nostalgia and heartfelt connections that they feel are absent in more recent titles.
“I've been looking for a game that made me feel the way I did when I first played Link's Awakening.”
“Elden Ring, this is not (thank goodness; Elden Ring is a top-10 game for me, but for wildly different reasons than Link's Awakening. It also made me cry for wildly different reasons than Link's Awakening).”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, often finding themselves amused by unexpected deaths and the challenges posed by obscure puzzles, which add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
“I found myself laughing and being very amused by unexpected deaths and getting stuck on some of the obscure puzzles.”
